Industrial Cooperation of Russian And Italian Companies to Benefit Both Countries

While summing up the results of his three-day official visit to Italy, Russian prime minister Mikhail Kasyanov stated that Russian and Italian authorities would promote efforts of companies of the two countries in the area of industrial cooperation.

In particular he stated that efforts of Italian companies to establish industrial districts in Russian regions deserved special attention. He was talking, in particular, of the Moscow region, Lipetsk region, Chuvashia where Italian companies were organizing a number of cooperating enterprises.

According to the premier, at a meeting with representatives of business circles of Italy he felt their desire to seriously and positively cooperate with Russia, their intention to create small and medium-size enterprises in Russia. A subsidiary company of the largest Italian bank "Intesa" is planned to be opened in June this year in the Moscow region to support projects of Italian companies in Russia.

Italy also sees possibilities to increase in the nearest future volumes of gas and oil acquired from Russia. According to Kasyanov, it was a kind of demonstration of political and economic confidence in Russia.

He reported that within the framework of global partnership Italy was prepared to start working to utilize nuclear submarines. The work to eliminate chemical weapons is already underway. The premier reminded those present that Italy's participation in that program was estimated at USD 1 billion.

The head of the Russian government also positively assessed the development of cooperation of the two countries in space. In the course of the visit of the Russian delegation to Italy negotiations took place between Rosaviakosmos and Italian specialists. The premier stated that Italy was prepared to jointly work with Russia to create navigational systems to ensure cross-polar flights.

At the negotiations in Italy they also discussed intensification of Russian-Italian military and technical cooperation. By the present moment the first stage of implementation of the project to create a training aircraft Yak-130 was completed. Kasyanov recalled that the Russian defense ministry already expressed its readiness to procure such aircraft, while the Italian side in this respect had no contracts. Mikhail Kasyanov stated that Italy was also interested in increasing the purchases of Russian goods.